Final Fantasy Crystal Bearers Hands-on

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With the final version in hand, we kick off our journey through Square's Wii epic.

By Mark Bozon

The world of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles has changed a lot over the years, and one game has been caught up in it all since long before the launch of Nintendo's Wii console. Back when Wii was code-named Revolution, we got word that a new chapter in the Final Fantasy series would be coming to Nitnendo's console, and that the Crystal Chronicles name -- a series that had become synonymous with Nintendo and Final Fantasy -- would be hitting Nintendo's system at launch, or shortly thereafter. Then it was pushed to 2007. Then to 2008. It's now 2009, and after what has apparently been a huge overhaul of the game and a gigantic wait for die-hard fans, we've got the final version in our hands and are pushing through the game's gigantic world one hour at a time.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is an almost entirely different game than anything you've played before within the Final Fantasy branding. Far from the classic turn-based gameplay and free-roaming battles like Final Fantasy XII, and even a sizable departure from the other Crystal Chronicles games, Crystal Bearers is a pure adventure title, mixing combat areas with an open world filled with huge locales. The core game is still linear in design, but with an emphasis on exploration, material gathering, and a huge focus on adaptive AI. Crystal Bearers is far more of an open world than players might expect.

And you thought boss fights were tough when you had weapons to use...

The story itself also goes in a new direction for the Crystal Chronicles series. Set 1,000 years after the original events of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Crystal Bearers tells the story of the world after the Great War. As you may or may not know, the Crystal Chronicles world is based off four tribes, including the Lilty, Clavat, Selkie, and Yuke, with each nation representing a different lifestyle and culture. The Lilty are scientists, the Clavat are a peace loving race that find harmony within the world, and the Selkie are renegade, nomadic wanderers that often find solace outside of the walls of a common city.

Then there's the Yuke tribe. Known for their adept magic skills and powerful sorcery, the Yuke have all but vanished from the land after the results of the Great War. Lilty and Yuke faced off, and amidst the storm of battle Yuke's crystal was destroyed. The Lilty took over as the dominant race, set up their own world where law, science, and order reign supreme, and the Yuke vanished from the planet.

The "Crystal Bearers" are a new and often-feared breed, mixed amongst the remaining tribes with a strange, divine power to harness energy and manipulate the world. They are feared by some and resented by others, and the reason for their birth is unknown. That's where Layle comes in. As the story's protagonist, Layle is a Crystal Bearer that works as a mercenary for the Lilty kingdom. During an escort mission for the maiden voyage of a luxury airship called the Alexis, a mysterious attack occurs and Layle is caught up in the middle of it. Out of nowhere emerges a Yuke -- now 1,000 years removed from history -- who steals the energy from the airship and escapes, leaving behind a mysterious stone known as the crystal marker. With little to go off of but the strange little gem, Layle begins a quest to find its origin, find the Yuke, and eventually exact revenge.

The information above is carried out within the first few minutes of the game and rather than spoil any of the story elements from there, I'll tough on a few of the finer points we've encountered during our first three hours with Crystal Bearers.

As mentioned, the world is huge, including a style all its own that feels entirely centered around Layle's magic abilities. The young mercenary travels with no weaponry, instead using his magic powers as a sort of telekinesis within the world. Point at an enemy or object, hold the B button, and a quick circular meter will fill up, filling faster based on his proximity to the object. Once locked, the remote can be flicked either left, up, down, or right to pull off different actions; most of which are simply tossing the object around the screen, pulling a lever up or down, or pulling Layle to that object.

Crystal Bearers is all about using the world as your weapon. Bad guys included.

Enemies can break the lock-on by moving too quickly or attacking, and oftentimes Layle's actions are limited based on a specific situation. Levers, for example, can only be flicked up or down. The classic "Bomb" enemy from the Final Fantasy universe, however, needs to be spun initially to dizzy the monster (a quick flick to the left or right will pull that off) at which point it can be picked up and used as a gigantic grenade. The relation between Layle and the world is what will make or break the Crystal Bearers experience, and while the first few hours have some pretty basic combat, the game is showing promise of more complex ideas to come.